Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: nnyman18 on January 29, 2010, 12:36:31 AM
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WPS discontinues operations of Los Angeles Sol
by WPS - Press Release
01/28/2010 - 03:47 p.m.
Dispersal Draft Scheduled for Next Week
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 28, 2009) – After several weeks of negotiations with a potential new ownership group fell through at the last minute, Women’s Professional Soccer discontinued operations of the Los Angeles Sol on Thursday. The rights to the 19 players currently held by the Sol will be dispersed during a special draft for the league’s eight franchises on Thursday, February 4 and will be announced later in the day.
“While it’s regrettable to lose the Los Angeles market as part of our WPS footprint, we are pleased to have two new teams coming into the league in 2010,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “The league and our ownership committee worked incredibly hard over the past month to complete the transaction. In the end, we ran out of time and came up short of where we needed to be funding-wise for the Sol in 2010.”
"It is a sad day for the franchise, staff, players and fans," said General Manager and Acting Head Coach Charlie Naimo. "Until I see our players on other rosters I will continue to work for the organization. This is a very special group of players and I know they will be successful wherever they go. On behalf of our entire staff, we want to thank AEG and WPS for a great 2009."
The Los Angeles Sol had been under custody of the league since late November when AEG gave back its ownership stake in the team to the league.
“Ownership changes are part of pro sports, particularly in a young league, and we have made solid progress in growing WPS from where we were last season,” said Antonucci. “We believe Los Angeles is a healthy, viable market for women’s pro soccer and a city where our league can again thrive with an LA franchise in the future.”
The league will now feature an even eight-team, single table format for the 2010 WPS Regular Season with more details of the 2010 WPS Season to be unveiled next week.
“All the team owners and members of the Board are confident that this setback will be quickly overcome by the exciting developments that the league has in store for the 2010 WPS Season,” said WPS Board Member and Atlanta Beat Chairman T. Fitz Johnson. “This includes two new franchises, the debut of a brand new stadium built specifically for WPS, a longer regular season and an even better product on the field with incoming talent from the college ranks and the many top internationals that have been signed in the off-season. Without question, this season is poised to build on our successful launch year.”
Several of the Los Angeles players, including WPS All-Stars Shannon Boxx and Marta, are signed to multi-year, guaranteed contracts, and are expected to play in WPS for the remainder of their contracts with other WPS teams following the dispersal draft.
"I cannot tell you how heartbroken I am to hear of the news of the Sol," said Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. "I am sad for myself, my teammates, the organization and for LA as we will not get to play in front of our home crowd and be in this amazing area. I have truly come to love LA. I know we all still have hope until the dispersal draft that a miracle will happen. If not, thank you to the fans and everyone who supported and believed in us as you've made permanent memories in all our hearts."
The dispersal draft will be held Thursday, February 4 with the eight franchises selecting players from the Sol roster over three rounds in the following order: :-\ :-\
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Ah cah believe ah just lost meh favorite side in the Women's professional league steups
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come home by me gyul
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As long as americans continue to run a world sport the way they operate american sports and businesses their leagues and teams will always end up like shit.
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As long as americans continue to run a world sport the way they operate american sports and businesses their leagues and teams will always end up like shit.
What do you mean? care to expand or explain? I don't get it?
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As long as americans continue to run a world sport the way they operate american sports and businesses their leagues and teams will always end up like shit.
What do you mean? care to expand or explain? I don't get it?
oh oh ....... this go be difficult lol
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I am waiting for this explanation. Since I must have missed the reason I was given as to why the team folded
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AEG can really screw things up.
Ask any quake fan.
What is it with LA and football though? No NFL, now no WPS, the LA Gals better watch their tail :devil:
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come home by me gyul
yuh have a 5-a-side team or wha?
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AEG can really screw things up.
Ask any quake fan.
What is it with LA and football though? No NFL, now no WPS, the LA Gals better watch their tail :devil:
FT: Bay Area 4 - LA 1
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As long as americans continue to run a world sport the way they operate american sports and businesses their leagues and teams will always end up like shit.
What do you mean? care to expand or explain? I don't get it?
oh oh ....... this go be difficult lol
I doh understand that at all. Is there a problem with the way the NBA/NFL/MLB is run? Last I checked NBA players had the highest sports salaries in the world. I assume he is referrring to the salary cap or something. However, people need to the check the NFL revenues, it's insane numbers. Maybe that's why only select teams could win the Premiership, Serie A or La Liga.....
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As long as americans continue to run a world sport the way they operate american sports and businesses their leagues and teams will always end up like shit.
What do you mean? care to expand or explain? I don't get it?
Draft system
astro-turf
"All-Star" game (pure shit!!)
"conferences" bracketing of teams
"playoffs" (thank GOD they got rid of tied-game "shoot outs!)
unilateral league "ownership" of players' rights
asynchronous scheduling of mls msl misled against the bigger, better leagues they are trying to emulate
know-it-all know-nothing television analysts and commentators
stagnation of the so-called "minor leagues" and "minor league" teams without a promotion-relegation flow.
and here's the tricky one the "2 points for a win" thing must go!
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Okay since none of them applied to the real reason the team folded I won't add to your comments
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Okay since none of them applied to the real reason the team folded I won't add to your comments
No, my comments have to do with the overall way that "soccer" is run in this country, which is what my initial comment was alluding to. The reasons I posted may not be the direct cause of the LA Sol folding, but that team is all part of the overall system, hence.......
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In the US if your team attendance is not up to par the owners move to "greener" pastures. If a city shows that it wants a team badly they will get it. But with LA, it kinder hard to figure it out. They have so many attractions and distractions. They want to bring a football team to LA but I ain't sure if the citizens care or not. Sad to see the Sol set on they horizon. But sending Marta to Atlanta is a bad move. She should have come to DC. I know men here who say they want to have she baby.
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Fair enough MC
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Two more days before it becomes official. To all my ATL peeps I hate all of you all :devil:
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Hard luck ATL. Marta stays out west by being selected to the FC Gold pride
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Thas ok we have sharolta ... ;)
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Hard luck ATL. Marta stays out west by being selected to the FC Gold pride
sweet
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Ngozi plus all you get meh girl Tobin Heath who I would say is the American Marta